Young Folks Treasury, Volume 2 (of 12) eBook

AEneas now climbed one of the hills to see whether
he might catch a glimpse of any of the missing ships.
Not a sail was in sight, but in the valley below he
spied a herd of deer grazing. Here was better
food for hungry men. Drawing an arrow from his
quiver, he fitted it to his bow, let fly, and a mighty
stag fell to his aim. Six others shared its fate,
then AEneas returned with his booty and bade his friends
make merry with venison and Sicilian wine from the
ships. As they ate and drank, he tried to hearten
the Trojans. “Endure a little longer,”
he urged. “Think of the perils through
which we have passed, remember the dreadful Cyclopes
and cruel Scylla. Despair not now, for one day
the memory of past sufferings shall delight your hours
of ease. Through toils and hardships we are making
our way to Latium, where the gods have promised us
a peaceful home and a new and glorious Troy. Hold
out a little while, and wait for the happy days in
store.”

HOW HORATIUS HELD THE BRIDGE

ADAPTED BY ALFRED J. CHURCH

King Tarquin[1] and his son Lucius (for he only remained
to him of the three) fled to Lars Porsenna, King of
Clusium, and besought him that he would help them.
“Suffer not,” they said, “that we,
who are Tuscans by birth, should remain any more in
poverty and exile. And take heed also to thyself
and thine own kingdom if thou permit this new fashion
of driving forth kings to go unpunished. For surely
there is that in freedom which men greatly desire,
and if they that be kings defend not their dignity
as stoutly as others seek to overthrow it, then shall
the highest be made even as the lowest, and there shall
be an end of kingship, than which there is nothing
more honorable under heaven.” With these
words they persuaded King Porsenna, who judging it
well for the Etrurians that there should be a king
at Rome, and that king an Etrurian by birth, gathered
together a great army and came up against Rome.
But when men heard of his coming, so mighty a city
was Clusium in those days, and so great the fame of
King Porsenna, there was such fear as had never been
before. Nevertheless they were steadfastly purposed
to hold out. And first all that were in the country
fled into the city, and round about the city they
set guards to keep it, part thereof being defended
by walls, and part, for so it seemed, being made safe
by the river. But here a great peril had well-nigh
over-taken the city; for there was a wooden bridge
on the river by which the enemy had crossed but for
the courage of a certain Horatius Cocles. The
matter fell out in this wise.

[Footnote 1: King Tarquin had been driven from
Rome because of his tyranny.]